Fastening device



juge i?, 1941. u BLACKMQRE u 2,245,751

FASTENING DEVICE Filed Sept. 26, 1958 Snvemor Patented June 17, 1941 UmmPATEN r OFFICE 'rms invention relates to fastening devices andy hasparticularreference to a device which may be used as al nutlockl toprevent the nut .from coming unloosened from its bint,v or as aVfasteningto prevent vthe''withdrawaloffsI bearing or a'pipeendiromanopening.A y

'Ihe device oi.'v theV inventionis of general c shape and is adapted tovbeapplied to, a grooved head to hold the head 'in an opening. orto thethreaded end of the `bolt either before the nut is applied or after thenut is infposition.

The essential 'feature of the fasteiingdevice Y is the provision of armshaving inwardly notched or barbed surfaces which are adapted to fit inthe grooves of a head or to contact thethreads of the bolt when thedevice is in position..l These barbed surfaces are bent or arched awayfrom the plane of the armsI of the device so that they are inclined fromthe inside or center downwardly to the outside of the device. When thenut is tightened on the bolt the arched or inwardly bent margins arepressed against the shoulders ol' the grooved head 'or against thethreads of the bolt and are also sprung toward -a ilat position so thatthere is a constant pressure against the head or against the nut toprevent its release.

On the drawing Figure 1 shows the device as it appears in use when usedas a nut lock.

Figure 2 is a perspective view ot the fastening device. v

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional detailed view on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a front end view of the device applied to a grooved head tohold the head in an Opening.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the blank from whicr the fastening devicesare formed.

Referring to the drawing, the numerals 2 and l indicate two adjacentplates which are to be secured together. '111e plates have the bolt'openings l and 8 through which the shank Il of the bolt Il is adapted topass. On the threaded end I8 oi' the bolt the nut I8 is applied andbetween the bottom of the nut Il and plate 2 the fastening device orlock washer 2l of the invention is applied.

'I'he fastening device 2l is shown in perspective view in Figure 2 andcomprises a generally cshaped member`having the arms 22 and 2l and theback 2l joining the arms. The back 26 has the -bent over portion orflange 28 which is substantially at right angles to the main part of thefastening device. This flange 2l is to enable the fastening device to beseized with the lingers and placed in position or serves as an abutmentfor a hammer to pound the device in position.

The ends of the arms 22 and 24 are rounded or arched as indicated at I0to enable an easy application of the devicewhen it is placed inposition, such as when it is to be applied to the grooves. 3l of thehead 33 in Figure 4, or-after the nut Il has been applied to thethreaded end Il of the bolt. These rounded or arcuate ends 3l terminateinthe'sharp barbs 32 and the disvtance between the barb's 22 is slightlysmaller than theV width of the threaded part I8 of the bolt i4, or ofthe distance between the grooves 3i so that when the device 2l isapplied when the head 23 is in position, or after the nut I8 has beenscrewed in place, the device must be -driven home and will be held inplace because the distance between the barbs 32 vwill prevent the devicefrom leaving the shank of the bolt or the grooves unless force isapplied. 'I'here is suiiicient spring in the arms 22 and 24 to allow aslight spread to enable the barbs l2 to pass over the bolt I0 or grooves2i.

The inner edge faces or surfaces 34 of the mouth of the c are stepped ornotched as shown in Figure 2 and the rear edge face 3 6 adjacent theback 28 is rounded as shown. After the fastening device 20 has beenformed, a tool is applied to give the arms and back a sloping for- 20may be hammered against the nut Il, as'

mation. That is, the outer edges 38 and 40 of the arms 22 and 2l,respectively, are left in substantially their original plane whiletheinner margins of the arms at 34 are bent away from the plane as isbest seen in Figures 1, 2, and 3. 'Ihe inner margins at 3l are bent .inthe same direction as the rear flange 28 and the back 28 and the rearedge 36 are formed as a part of the cone indicated by the arc l2.

Referring to Figure 3, the device 2l is shown used as a lock washer andas being in position before the nut il is tightened. After the nut I8 istightened the inner margin of the lock washer at 3l will take the dottedline position and the lower edges of the side faces 3l will tightly gripthe threads I8 of the bolt. With the inner margin at 34 oi the fasteningdevice 20 sprung from the full line to the dotted line position ofFigure l3, .the inner margins of the arms 22 and 2l will push outwardlyand tend to regain their Aoriginal form and this outward movement of thearms will produce a preure against the underside of the nut I8 rmly tohold it in place. After the the nut has been tightened, the flange shownin Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows the application of the f astening device to a head 33 tohold the head in Va plate, web or board 35. The head 33 may be the endof a hose or pipe 31 or may serve as a. bearing for a shaft. The head isprovided with a ange 39, which abuts against one side of the plate 35,and with two grooves 3| which are on the side of the plate 35 oppositeto the ange 39 when the head 33 lis in position. With the head in place,the arms 22-2Ivof the fastening device 2B are forced into the grooves 3lto retain the head in place. The barbs 32 of the fastener wili rstcontact the bottoms oi' the grooves and spread or spring the arms apart.When the barbs 32 have passed out of the grooves, the arms 22-and 24will spring back to their original position. The inner edges of the armswill also be compressed or placed under tension, i. e., they will bepassed or forced toward the plate 35,

`Figure because the extent of deviation of the inner margins at 34 fromthe plane of the outer edges 38 and 40 of the arms, is greater than thedistance from the `outer shoulder of the groove to the plate 35.

Figure 5 shows the blank B from which the fastening devices or lockwashers are formed. The

shapes of the adjacent devices or lock washers are indicated by thenumerals 20a- 2tlg inclusive.

From Figure 5 it will be seen that the arms 24hand 22d, for instance,are formed from the hollow part or mouth of the C of the fasteningdevice 20c so that from the mouth or opening in the G of each fasteningdevice the arms of adjacent fastening devices are formed, being dividedon the lines L and ML it will be understood that any suitable blankingand forming dies may be used to cut and bend thev blanks to their finalshape and such mechanism does not form a. part oi! this invennon, theblank in Figure 5 with the meenam pieces being shown to illustrate howthe fastening device is not only well adapted for. its purposes but maybe made from sheet'metal without waste.

I claim:

1.A A fastening device of resilient sheet metal generally Q-shaped inplan having the arms approximately parallel and with the outer paralleledges of the arms and the base of the connecting body portion lyingsubstantially in aplane and with the inner parallel edges of the armsraised above said plane whereby to aiiord resilient resistance to forcestending to flatten the device, the' said inner edges provided adjacenttheir outer e ends with inwardly extending projections spaced apart a.slightly less distance than the distance between. the arms nearer thebody.

2. A fastening device o! resilient sheet metal generally C-shaped inplan having the arms approximately parallel and with the outer paralleledges of the arms and the base of the connecting body portion lyingsubstantially in a plane and with the inner parallel edges of -the armsraised above said plane whereby to afford resilient resistance to forcestending to flatten the device, the said inner edges provided adjacenttheir outer ends with inwardly extending projections spaced apart aslightly less distance than the distance between the arms nearer` thebody, an

upturned tlange being formed on the rear of said body portion inposition toenable said device to be driven into engagement with a memberto be held"` LLOYD BLACKMORE.

